THREE PEAKS CHALLENGE FOR THREE CHARITIES

Walking helped Richard Williams lose more than nine stone and now he’s stepping up to a new challenge – taking on the Three Peaks in aid of Chasing the Stigma, Prostrate Cancer UK and Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue.

Richard will embark on the challenge with Castle Green Homes colleagues Nigel Pritchard, Mike Williams, Gethyn Evans and George Povey on June 26.

But it’s something Richard could only dream of doing just 15 months ago.

He was 22 stone, but has now lost 9 ½ stone and gone from a triple XL to a medium through portion control and walking.

“I want to make a difference with a group of people. If we can raise £100,000 it would mean a lot to me,” Richard added.

Revealing why he chose the charities, he explained: “I was suffering in silence. Being overweight made me hate myself which I was depressed about but put a smiley face on at work. I was quite a good actor, masking and making people think I was jolly, but I wasn’t happy with myself. It was like I was in a deep hole and when I tried to get out, I’d slip deeper but eventually I managed to climb to the top. Chasing the Stigma is a charity helping people who are struggling with their mental health, like I did, with the Hub of Hope, the UK’s largest directory for mental health resources. With construction workers said to be four times more likely to die by suicide than the national average, it’s a charity that’s close to home.

Richard added: “Friends and colleagues have had prostate cancer, so helping that charity was a natural choice. Supporting Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue means that if someone is stranded there’s help coming.”

The group will take on the Three Peaks on June 26. They aim to start at Ben Nevis at around 5pm, sleep during the overnight drive to Scafell Pike, scale that peak by 8am and then on to Snowdon, with a target of finishing by 4.30pm.

Funds raised will be paid into a central bank account and shared with the charities with Chasing the Stigma and Prostate Cancer UK receiving 40% each and 20% going to Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue.